Halftime notes: George Washington 40, UMass 31

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – After one half of play, the University of Massachusetts basketball team trails George Washington 40-31. Here are a few of my halftime thoughts.

SLOW START AGAIN: For a second straight night, UMass didn't look ready to play early. There were sloppy turnovers (especially in the paint, where some Stickum spray would probably be useful), poor early shooting (2 for 11 from 3-point ranger) and just a general lack of execution. Combine that with 50 percent shooting for the Colonials and you have the makings for a typically-sluggish opening sequence for the Minutemen.

CHAZ STILL QUIET: Thursday against Rhode Island, Chaz Williams scored just four points in the first half. Tonight has even fewer – three, which came on a 3-pointer early in the game. The senior point made just 1 of 5 shots to go with three assists and a pair of turnovers. He looked super aggressive early (a little out of control, too), but eventually backed off a bit. UMass will need Williams to step up his game again to pull off another comeback.

MIKIC BARRAGE: George Washington senior forward Nemanja Mikic came into the game averaging 4.4 points. On just three shots, he doubled his usual output. Mikic made a trio of 3-pointers in the first half, including a pair back-to-back along the baseline right in front of the UMass bench. When it comes to unexpected variables, that is certainly something the Minutemen didn't want to deal with.